In late October, British financial research firm Moody's
issued a report indicating that supply chain issues caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic would
result in rising consumer costs in hospital care. With many
countries shifting to domestic manufacturing to counter the spread
of coronavirus through international channels, medical supplies
like personal protective equipment (PPE) and pharmaceuticals are
expected to be more expensive to produce. Supply chain constraints
during COVID-19 times are also likely to impact public
construction projects and restrict new hospital builds, further
affecting a sector that is already heavily burdened by the
pandemic.
However, these supply chain issues also portend problems for
Intellectual Property, especially trademark and brand owners.
Counterfeits and knock-off products appearing on the market are
always a problem for business owners holding IP rights, but supply
chain disruptions give malevolent actors the opportunity they
